Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling

Chapter Sixteen (part 2)

Whispers traveled fast in the palace. Hotaru's spies had been in a flutter since his father had been locked away, by Hikaru, no less. What game was his brother playing? He could not be thinking of seizing control, could he? The lords were scrambling, looking for a leader in this time of chaos. Now was Hotaru's chance to prove he was worthy to be the next elder. And finally he could get it, with the right backing. So here he was, outside his uncle's doorway. His father's sole surviving sibling was in some ways equal to their father in influence in the clan. Hotaru took a breath. This next step meant there was no turning back, no pretending he was happy with his place as second son. But seeing the palace fall apart brick by brick, through uncertainty, magic and danger, he felt as if he was being torn apart little by little along with it. I cannot let my brother destroy us.

He slid open the door an inch. His hands shook. He dared not have a servant announce him; the fewer people that knew about this rendezvous, the better—he had not even sent his uncle a message to let him know he was coming. Rumors would fly and he needed the advantage of surprise if he hoped to take control of the clan from his brother.

"If you're coming in, do it," his uncle called from within.

Hotaru slid the door open the rest of the way and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. His uncle looked up from his Shogi board. He did not seem surprised to see him, which meant Hikaru had been here, as the whispers said.

"Nephew." He looked away from Hotaru and back to his board.

Hotaru sat down across from his uncle, on the opponent's side of the board. His uncle, one of the greatest generals and right hand of his father; Hotaru was in awe. How long had he dreamed of being in this position, asking for his uncle's advice, but never daring because of the order of his birth? He felt elated and maybe a bit reckless for doing this. But he could no longer watch idly as his brother obsessed over a Kitsune, oblivious to the problems that were plaguing the clan. His father had imprisoned the Kitsune, but he knew that would not last. Hikaru always found ways to get what he wanted. The neighboring clans were looking for any weakness, any flaw, and he was handing it to them on a silver platter. His affair with the Kitsune could only end in scandal, and now he was trying to seize control before his time. Did he want to destroy them all? Or was this the Kitsune's plan? Hotaru refused to stand aside any longer.

"Uncle, I think you know why I am here."

He nodded but did not look up. "You want to usurp your brother's position as future elder."

Hotaru bit his tongue, silencing a childish excuse. It sounded so blunt coming from his uncle's mouth. But his uncle was not a man to mince words. It was something Hotaru admired about him. But as Hotaru was a second son, so was his uncle, and he knew even aspiring for his brother's place went against every law and tradition.

"Usurp is an ugly word. I merely mean to protect our clan and heritage."

"Will you steal his wife and kill him? Because if you do not have the backing of the Fujikawas, you have nothing."

He took the rebuff with a stony expression. He had expected some resistance; his uncle was a man of honor. And what man would plot a coup? But he also knew his uncle was open to hearing his side when he did not silence him immediately. "I know that. And I am prepared to marry Lady Fujikawa if that is what it takes. But I will not kill my brother. I thought to offer him exile."

His uncle shook his head. "And wait for him to raise an army to come and usurp you?"

"What man would follow him, when his own men despise him?"